Scraps: Russel Scur sketch
by Uskius
Summary: Who is he? Danger unfolds in Wano as the Straw Hat Crew try to figure out the plans and character of Russel Scur. ((Earlier this year I'd thought of doing this as a side project while working on other things, but then realized it was only a distraction, and scrapped it. Just now thought of putting it up.))
1. Chapter 1

"None of that made me happy," Zoro grumbled. "Mangekyō Kunshu would have been a great sword to have, but with the conversion rates I would have been out of cash after I bought it. On top of that the other guy made the clerk uneasy. I didn't get very far into learning if they had Yama no Kane stashed away somewhere..."

Nami nodded, thinking of the other man who'd been in the shop with them, who introduced himself as Renji Fudo. He was around Zoro's height(or a few inches taller), with dark stubble and short, loose curls, dressed casually for Wano with a mostly open yukata and a haori worn on his shoulders; what she remembered most, though, were his heavy iron geta. He seemed very knowledgeable on katana, but in the middle of negotiating for one of the swords brought for Zoro, left through the back door in a hurry. "...If Kaido doesn't have it, it's got to be here in the capital somewhere. Looking up down the street, Nami saw a small crowd gathered in front of one of the stores. "Hmm?"

Zoro and Nami nudged their way through the crowd to the storefront. "Wanted poster. It's-" Zoro had almost turned away when he snapped back.

"It's him," Nami said quietly. "Apparently Renji isn't his real name."

"Russel 'Ironboot' Scur? I had a strong hunch he was no civilian, but I've never heard of him before. He must be an amateur or a small timer with a bounty like that, though. Seventy-eight thousand? Pretty low even for the East Blue."

"You samurai should be able to handle a monster like him, right?" Asked a member of the crowd next to Zoro, a young high society lady.

"Should be a piece of cake. I've taken care of some pretty tough customers before," Answered Zoro.

"That sure is an outrageous fortune, though," The young woman said. "My father barely makes five thousand gold a year..."

Nami blinked. Sure enough, there was the gold sign next to the number. Russel's sketch was reasonably accurate, but upon seeing a handful of scars on it, she realized he'd been wearing a bit of foundation and concealer. "This is a recent poster, too. It looks brand new."

"So when he left..." Zoro mused, holding his chin. "He must have sensed the poster was on its way. Damn! Given how he talked about Mangekyō Kunshu, I'd bet he's after Yama no Kane, too. This was frustrating enough before it was a race," Zoro huffed. "Let's go. Before we know it it'll be time to meet up with Robin and the others."


	2. Chapter 2

Nico slid the door shut behind her and relaxed slightly. The library in the Flower Capital mansion she had infiltrated was silent, without a trace of anyone else there. She was almost certain it was here. During her work posing as a geisha she'd heard of many historic works of literature being here, not a few of which she planned to take for herself. _"These are all Oda period scrolls,"_ Nico thought as she scanned the neatly packed shelves. Her target was the long-winded but thorough _Romance of the Eighteen Generations_, a history that spanned hundred of years, and allegedly included the Void Century- at least as Wano experienced it. It was not a Poneglyph, but nearly as valuable.

Then as she rounded the wall of shelves Nico discovered someone who had been standing over a table in silence. They were a short woman, extremely pale with straight black hair and piercing green eyes, and a small golden nose ring. Much the same as Nico she was dressed as a geisha, and each got the feeling that the other wasn't supposed to be there. Nico's gaze slid down, and she saw the distinct border embellishments and age of the scroll the woman was poring over- with how large and ornate it was, it had to have been what she was looking for. "...I think we're both short on time here," Nico began. "Let's be reasonable: you hand over the Romance, and I'll let you go and we can pretend this never happened."

"But I just found the passages on Yama no Kane! I have to get this back to Captain Scur."

"Ship? Are you with Kaido?"

"Not in a million years," The other woman said. "I'm Xiaolu Fenghuang, with the Yellowjack Pirates."

Nico narrowed her eyes on Xiaolu. "Yellowjack? Captain Scur...? You mean that scumbag arms dealer and warmonger is here in Wano?"

"I know what you're thinking with our flagship crew being here when we are, but I'm the first mate. I promise you this is just a pit stop to find Yama no Kane. Once we find the sword we're out of here," Xiaolu said.

"Dubious promise aside, I need the Romance of the Eighteen Generations more than you do," Nico said. "It's far more important than just finding a sword."

Xiaolu hesitated for a second. "Could you at least let me copy down a few things? Then you can do what you want with the scroll." Nico held her gaze a moment, then nodded. Xiaolu hurriedly pulled folded up papers and a pen out of her yukata, then got to work. But, even though Xiaolu wrote quickly, Nico swiftly grew impatient and took out her own pen.

"I'll finish it up for you. Which parts did you need?"

"This paragraph, this one, and..." Unrolling the scroll slightly, Xiaolu found the section, pointing. "This one." Nico held out her hand for Xiaolu's pen, then once she handed it over, grew another forearm and hand and began copying, going even faster than Xiaolu had. The Yellowjack first mate's mouth hung open in shock as she watched, having never seen a Devil Fruit ability like Nico's. "You're a pirate too, right? Who are you with?" Xiaolu asked as Nico finished writing.

Though what she knew of Xiaolu's captain didn't inspire trust, the woman herself seemed honest enough to Nico. Carefully rolling up the scroll and putting it in her bag, Nico turned to leave, looking over her shoulder. "Ask your captain about the Straw Hat Crew."


	3. Chapter 3

Tashigi was still uneasy despite the others doing their best to put her at ease. Turning to lean on the rail and look over the sea, she said, "All our intel says they aren't directly affiliated, but..." Tashigi bit her lip, wondering how to put it. "...They're like two sides of the same coin: where one goes, it's usually not long before the other comes in. Monkey D. Dragon is a monster, but at least he has a purpose; Russel Scur is more humane, but he's a liar, a cheat, and a thief who's only in it for the money." Sighing, Tashigi continued, "From what you guys have said, the stage is set, but it this is where Dragon would come in to form an alliance and deter the World Government. Nothing about this indicates a typical Yellowjack strategy. Scur places his bets with weapons deals and then arms the survivors, but if everyone in this situation is already armed and prepared to die... Simply put, there is _no reason_ for Scur and the Yellowjacks to be here."

Tony Tony Chopper's arms were folded in thought when he remembered. "You know, yesterday I heard from Nico their first mate had found some scroll called the 'Romance of the Eighteen Generations'. She said something about Yama no Kane, but I have no-"

"Yama no Kane?!" Tashigi said, swiftly turning to face Tony. "That was the sword that _made_ Wano! Its steel was said to be so pure, hearing it clash in battle was like windchimes; so sharp and durable it could-" Tashigi caught herself, and cleared her throat. "Ahem. Long story short, it went without a wielder for decades, and then it just disappeared during the Void Century and after that, Shusui was forged. But still, to most people it would just be a sword, a myth, at best."

"I think the larger issue here is the Romance of the Eighteen Generations," Miyagi said, holding his chin. "I've been interested in it for its medicinal lore, but I've heard it contains a wide range of topics- even a bit of Wano's history from the Void Century." Tashigi's eyes widened in shock, but as she was about to comment, several water droplets fell on her and Miyagi and Tony, and trail across the deck for a moment.

"Huh? Clear sky, and the clouds don't look stormy..." Tony said quietly. The three looked up, only to hear the sails snapping as they caught the breeze, and see pristine white clouds.

There was a brief pause before Tashigi spoke up. "Our crews may not like it, but I do believe the deal is best for all of us, currently. Especially so now that we know Scur is after Yama no Kane and the Romance of the Eighteen Generations- if they fall into his hands and he sticks around afterwards, the war he starts just might decide the next pirate king. And I-" Tashigi bit back her words, glancing out to the sea. "And I personally am certain that keeping Yama no Kane hidden, or at the very least with someone who won't sell or misuse it, should be our main concern if we can't find Scur himself."

Miyagi chuckled, seeing how Tashigi was embarrassed to directly ask for help. "I think our crews are large enough to tackle both. I'll talk to Inuarashi and see what we can do."

"And the immunity is only temporary, right?" Tony asked.

"It ends as soon as Scur and or one of the Yonko come into Marine custody," Answered Tashigi, nodding.

Tony put his hoof out between them. Miyagi put his hoof out next, and finally Tashigi put her hand in. "Deal."


	4. Chapter 4

"You got our word," Nami said, shaking Vice Admiral Smoker's hand. "But if you turn on us the second this is over, you better be prepared for a fight."

"Noted. Now-" Smoker, Zoro and Tashigi glanced over towards the rail. "Hmm. Thought someone was there. Again, I'll still have a job to do after we take care of things, and I'll do my damndest to bring in whoever's left, which may end up being you and your crew. But otherwise, yes. We'll honor the agreement."

"No, hold on, one last thing," Said Zoro. "Is this just between your crew and ours or all of the Marines?"

"Well..." Tashigi nervously glanced around at the members of the Straw Hat Crew and Mink Tribe present. "Sometimes agreements are made between the Marines and... _other_ entities that aren't put on the record. There are actually dozens of pirates who work for the World Government, but only the Shichibukai are recognized due to their influence on other pirates. For example, it may happen that the Marines and World Government may _hypothetically_ be taking money and weapons from a certain pirate, but they couldn't be made a Shichibukai in case that tie ever came to light, so-"

"I think we get it," Zoro said, cutting off Tashigi, who tried not to look too relieved. "No one outside Wano will know, but then again, with how the Marines feel about the samurai, I'd say it's a decent trade off." He looked over towards the railings again, now certain. They were doing well to stay hidden but their efforts just weren't enough. "Come on out! I'd recommend doing it now before we get seriously pissed off."

The air blurred and shifted as the mirage dissipated. Appearing was a younger man with spiky blond hair, wearing red overalls, heavy boots, and a navy blue tank top. He was holding a small wooden chest in one arm. "Don't attack! I'm just here with an offer from my captain!"

"Are you with the Big Mom Pirates?" Nami asked, scowling. "The Beast Pirates? Who?"

"The Yellowjack Pirates." Smoker sighed angrily, and the young man gulped before continuing. "He said that since you all are aware he's in the area now, that perhaps we should be working together, instead of against each other."

Smoker blew out a puff from his cigars. "Pardon my Wano, but this just fucking blows. The last thing I want is to owe him or let him get in my head, except he's already in there without even doing anything and that son of a bitch knows it. So Scur wants to play nice for now, huh? What exactly is the offer?" The young Yellowjack took out a piece of paper from his pocket and held it out, with Smoker snatching it away roughly. "That's... actually not bad," He commented, scanning over the note again before passing it to Zoro.

"No strings attached... safe passage, contents of the box... huh. You know what, why not? The more the merrier. If Smoker's okay with it we guess I am too."

"What's in the chest?" Asked Nami. The young man shrugged, and then opened up the wooden box. Almost glowing from within it was a lustrous golden fruit, with swirls on its scale-like skin.

"He's just giving up a Devil Fruit?!" Usopp wondered. "Why on Earth would he do that?!"

"Because he found what he came to Wano for," Nico reasoned.

"And because he already has a Devil Fruit of his own," Smoker added.

"So, uh, do we have a deal?" Asked the Yellowjack pirate nervously.

"Deal," Zoro and Smoker and Inuarashi said at the same time. Their crews looked around at each other to see who would go for it, but nobody made a move until Tashigi stepped up.

"I'll be taking this."


	5. Chapter 5

The unease and tension had been slowly fading. So many of them would normally be working in opposition, but at the table it was only Sanji's cooking that mattered.

And one fruit in particular.

Tashigi took the Devil Fruit out of its small chest and set it on the table in front of her plate. "Are you sure?" Xiaolu asked, eyebrow raised.

"I'm sure," Tashigi said quietly after a moment. "If Russel Scur is going to take Yama no Kane, then I feel like I need something to level the playing field."

"There's only five- well maybe six, now- of his collection that he regularly uses," Xiaolu said to Tashigi. "It may be in the hands of someone who doesn't care for justice, but cap'n takes good care of his swords."

"That's Dragon's Vengeance and the Four Seasons, right?" Nico asked, which Xiaolu confirmed with a nod. Tashigi's expression soured slightly at having Scur's ownership of the Meito verified, but she took a deep breath.

"What is it like?" Tashigi asked softly.

"It tastes awful," Xiaolu and Nico accidentally said at the same time.

"I gagged for almost half an hour after I ate mine," Continued Xiaolu. "But you don't have to eat the whole thing. Just one bite will do-"

"I'm eating the whole thing," Interrupted Tashigi. Nico looked at her skeptically, seeing how the fruit was the size of two hands clasped together. Tashigi tucked her hair behind her ears and removed her glasses, then picked up the Devil Fruit and fearlessly took a large bite. Though she shook and began to sweat at the horrendous taste, she soldiered on, continuing to take huge bites. _"Oh! Oh no! I think I'm about to-"_ Tashigi dropped the fruit on her plate and took deep breath, waiting for her stomach to calm down.

"Feel anything yet?" Nico asked gently.

"Just nauseous," Said Tashigi, swallowing before picking up the fruit and eating the last few bites. From outside the mess hall door heavy footfalls sounded, approaching the room. Xiaolu and her crew mates stood up at attention, facing the door.

Russel Scur stepped in, and Tashigi put on her glasses to get a good look at him: he wore a Marine captain's jacket on his shoulders, and on his back she recognized the large Wano-style execution sword, Dragon's Vengeance. He wore a simple red hat, and his boots were rusty and welded together iron. "Xiaolu, we're flipping. The rest of my crew, prepare to board and help the alliance. The Big Mom Pirates are here."


	6. Chapter 6

"He just sank Custard's ship!" Usopp shouted.

Arlo Fairfax, who was the lookout of the Yellowjack Pirates and brought the offer to the alliance, was up in the crow's nest with his scope. "And Xiaolu gave the grapeshot signal! Go ahead and fire!" The Yellowjacks loaded up their grapeshot cannons and took aim at the sails of Smoothie's ship, ripping them to ribbons as the alliance readied the boarding hooks.

Smoothie appeared on deck, walking up through her crew with her massive sword drawn, and stood at the ready. The boarding hooks arc through the air, and with a wide swing, she knocked several of them out of the air. Two of them landed, and the others frantically hauled their hooks back up for the next try. "I'm gonna make the jump and take her on," Zoro said. "We won't be able to pull close enough otherwise."

"You can't let her get a hold of you or cut you!" Usopp warned.

"That's a risk I'll have to take." With a prodigious leap Zoro went far out over the waters and over the railings of Smoothie's ship, drawing his swords as he landed. The deck quickly began to clear out to make way for their duel. The boarding crew got the hooks back up, and Tashigi stepped forwards. "Ready... throw!" The hooks came in, but in a split second, Smoothie deflected one of Zoro's swords, slashed through one of her crewmates and absorbed the blood from the wound, and slung it back out towards the hooks in one motion. _"We have to board before they can load the deck cannons and fire at close range!"_ Tashigi thought. She thumbed Shigure out of its sheath and in a blindingly fast cut slash Smoothie's Devil Fruit attack into a mist. The hooks landed on target and the pull began.

Moments later, the lifeboat touched down, and Xiaolu and Russel Scur hopped out. "Rot-wash bags on the ready! Xiaolu, get with the artillery while I lead in the second wave. Yellowjacks, strap your cleats on! This one's going to be messy!"

"Yes sir!" Swiftly saluting, Xiaolu turned and dashed off to the alliance archers and snipers as her captain went to find Luffy.

The chaotic press of battle was becoming a hindrance for Zoro. He was careful to not swing too wide and focus on Smoothie lest he accidentally cut an alliance crewmate down, but Smoothie kept swinging in with monstrous power with little to no regard for the battle around her, her blade striking through friend and foe alike and siphoning up their blood. Even though he had the power to contend with her, it was getting harder and harder to muster up the strength without being able to really cut loose.

And then Zoro slipped. Smoothie hammered down at his with swift and relentless strike, giving him time to do little besides roll to dodge. Then, Smoothie stomped down, pinning one of Zoro's arms to the deck as he began to roll. Zoro grit his teeth and brought his free arm up, the blades blocking Smoothie's sword in an X. It took him a second to realize, and his eyes widened in shock when he looked up.

"A temporary, one-time loan. I want Shigure back after this battle is over," Tashigi said, letting go of Shigure's hilt. Zoro opened his mouth and caught the sword in his teeth.


	7. Chapter 7

And with that slice, the clash was over- but Zoro didn't have time to catch his breath. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Russel Scur laying about with Dragon's Vengeance, but Franky was getting swarmed and he sprang over to help. Many of the Big Mom Pirates on Smoothie's ship were shocked by her sudden defeat, but on the starboard side the battle was still raging.

Using a borrowed cutlass, Tashigi had gone in with the second wave and began working counter clockwise around Smoothie's ship. She knew the battle was serious and not a contest, but she felt driven to contribute more to the victory than the pirates she worked with. "Shoulder to shoulder! Don't let them break you up!" She was quickly getting sweaty in the humid heat; her skin itched, and her feet felt squeezed by her boots. A warrior from the Mink Tribe heard her and stepped up to her side, a lemur girl wielding spiky tonfa. The Electro-laced hits she doled out made Tashigi even more aware of her borrowed sword's quality.

As she heard echoes of her shoulder-to-shoulder call, Tashigi could no longer take the itching and constricted feet, and flexed with a loud shout. Her legs felt fresh and more stable, her footsteps light; she was even more acutely aware of the blades surrounding her, striking and blocking with heightened accuracy. The Big Mom Pirates seemed to cower in fear under her as she fought with her second wind, though outside the fight ahead of her she could see them beginning to rally. She seethed at seeing the unjust and vile pirates before her. Her breath heated up, and she began to see fires lit during the battle blaze around her and consume the Big Mom Pirates.

"WHERE IS HE?!" Custard threw aside a body-length candy wrapper and drew her sword, looking absolutely furious. "Bring me Scur's head or it's time to wrap this up!" Intellectually, Tashigi knew it was unwise to challenge a woman with a nine-figure bounty, but she had no idea where Russel Scur was at and didn't want to risk the Big Mom Pirates getting a morale boost, so she took a mighty leap over to face her. "Zoan user? You're not Scur. Begone." The backhanded slash was near instantaneous, Tashigi only getting her blade in the way because she already had it up. After a brief moment of resistance it shattered, and Custard's sword bit into Tashigi's scales before she stepped away. She focused her anger at Custard's villainy into a shout. "This is impossible! Kaido is the only dragon!" Custard complained, batting away the fires as she could.

"That's no dragon..." Russel Scur noted, watching Tashigi and absentmindedly swatting a Big Mom Pirate overboard without looking. "That's a kirin..." Tashigi saw Custard's disbelief as an opening and went for a stab with the stub of her cutlass. Custard caught with her free hand, grimacing as the fires blazed up, but still using her Devil Fruit power to turn the broken weapon into a candy wrapper that encased Tashigi's hand. Custard wound up, aiming to finish her in one slash.

"Diable Jambe: Concassé!" Sanji's attack connected with a fiery shockwave, knocking several of the nearby fighters off their feet. Custard stumbled to one knee, struggling to stay conscious as she launched a wild swing at Tashigi, who was able to dart in and snatch the sword away. She hesitated a second before getting a firm grip on it, and finished Custard.

Tashigi nodded her thanks to Sanji, and raised her voice. "Shoulder to shoulder!"


End file.
